Desperate Housewives

When the women of Wisteria Lane bid their final farewells in May’s series finale, don’t expect to see them return on the big screen a la the “Sex and the City” characters. There will be no “Desperate Housewives” movie, says creator Marc Cherry.

“After eight years? Boy I think we’re done,” Cherry told reporters at the television critics press tour. “I’m just never sending these gals to Dubai. That’s all I’m saying.”

Cherry certainly wasn’t saying how the iconic ABC series will wrap up its soapy run. But he has envisioned the final act ever since the show launched and he hasn’t wavered from it.

“The general premise has always been the same,” he said, but “I’m so not revealing what the end will be. I’m hyper protective about it.”

Cherry appeared at the show’s final press-tour panel accompanied by its main women — Teri Hatcher, Marcia Cross, Felicity Huffman, Eva Longoria and Vanessa Williams. Also in attendance were the guys of Wisteria Lane — Ricardo Antonio Chavira, James Denton and Doug Savant.

Cherry and fellow executive producer, Bob Daily, did say that the show will continue to bring back familiar characters and “echoes of the past” over the final episodes. Cherry also plans to make a cameo appearance in the finale.

“I’m gonna do a Hitchcock,” he said.

During the press conference, the cast reflected on their favorite scenes, special moments and how “Desperate Housewives” made a substantial impact on popular culture in its early seasons.

When asked for her favorite memory, Hatcher recalled Susan’s famous Season 1 nude-in-the-bushes scene that required a crew member to apply duct tape to her breasts and crotch.

“It was one of the most fun, vulnerable, exciting, well-written moments in Susan’s personal journey,” said Hatcher. “I’ll never forget it.”

Can you fill the anticipation in the air? The fall TV season is just around the corner, and because we’re here to serve, we have your full rundown of premiere dates. And we mean FULL.

Other sites might tell you when the new network shows are starting. Or when the returning network shows come back. But we know that you’re also interested in big cable premieres such as “Boardwalk Empire,” “Dexter,” “The Walking Dead” and even “Beavis & Butthead.” So we’ve got those, along with all the network stuff.

Created by Marc Cherry, “Desperate Housewives” became a pop-culture sensation when it premiered in 2004 and made big stars of its leading ladies. But ratings in recent seasons have dwindled.

“The only thing harder than creating a hit show is knowing when to end it,” Cherry said. “We wanted to go out when the network still saw us as a viable show and a force to contend with … We wanted to go out in the classiest way possible.”

Cherry said that when he informed his cast of the decision on Friday, there was “a touch of shock, but not completely. … it was bittersweet and lovely.”

The final season, said Cherry, will return to the show’s roots and dig deeper into the mystery of Mary Alice (Brenda Strong), who triggered the suburban saga by committing suicide.

Cherry was asked about the possibility of a spin-off and he offered a humorous reply: “I love Eva Longoria more than life itself,” he said. “I told her I just want to put her in a van and have her solve mysteries.”

ABC will try to boost its midweek schedule in the fall with cop and legal dramas and, only a few months after “Lost” departs, a supernatural series that also begins with a plane crash.

The third-place network said Tuesday it will bring in Matthew Perry, Michael Imperioli, Michael Chiklis and Dana Delany for new series. Last year’s ambitious “Flash Forward” was canceled, and “Scrubs” was scrapped following an unsuccessful move from NBC.

Unlike its three chief rivals, ABC lost viewers this season as hits like “Desperate Housewives” and “Grey’s Anatomy” started aging. Yet the network’s biggest risk of last fall — stuffing Wednesday night with four new comedies — was a success. Three of them are back and one, “Modern Family,” is considered one of the freshest new shows on TV.

“We really had three goals going into development — attack 10 o’clock, more comedy and event television,” said Stephen McPherson, ABC Entertainment Group president. “This schedule really speaks to it.”

During ABC’s presentation to advertisers on Tuesday, downcast actor Matthew Fox of “Lost” appeared onstage to say how bittersweet it was the show was ending after six seasons. Other cast members gave filmed testimonials about the show being a life-changing experience.

Late-night star Jimmy Kimmel, in what’s becoming a yearly routine poking fun at all of the broadcast networks’ plans, noted the confusing mythology that scared many viewers away from “Lost.”

Watching the show is like “what I imagine it must be to be trapped inside the brain of Paula Abdul,” he said.

Kimmel also noted NBC’s cancellation of “Law & Order” in favor of the new series “Law & Order: Los Angeles.”

“The last time NBC took a show from New York and moved it to L.A. it wound up as the lead-in to George Lopez on TBS,” Kimmel said. The reference was to his late-night rival, Conan O’Brien.

Imperioli, late of “The Sopranos,” is on the other side of the law playing a “damaged but driven” detective in a homicide unit in the new series “Detroit 1-8-7.” It’s on the schedule for 10 p.m. ET/PT on Tuesdays.

The new “The Whole Truth” will be on the same time slot the next night. The legal drama stars Rob Morrow, late of CBS’ “Numb3rs,” and Joely Richardson of “Nip/Tuck” as former Yale Law School classmates who now compete as a prosecutor and defense attorney.

McPherson classifies the new “My Generation” as event television. The scripted series imagines a documentary crew following a Texas high school class in 2000 then returning to revisit those lives a decade later. “No Ordinary Family,” with Chiklis, is about a family whose plane crashes into the Amazon River and they emerge with superpowers.

Delany leads “Body of Proof,” playing a neurosurgeon who becomes a medical examiner after being injured in a car accident.

ABC picked up three new comedies, although “Better Together” was the only one with a firm slot on the fall schedule. It follows three couples in a family at various stages of their lives and relationships.

McPherson said he expected ABC’s two other new comedies to debut sometime in the fall.

With Courteney Cox already established in “Cougar Town,” back for its second season, her former husband in “Friends,” Perry, stars in the new “Mr. Sunshine” as the manager of a San Diego sports arena. Another NBC alum, Allison Janney of “The West Wing,” is his boss.

The romantic comedy “Happy Endings” is about the impact of a divorce on close-knit group of friends.

A new Friday night reality series, “Secret Millionaire,” used to be on Fox in a different format. It recalls CBS’ new “Undercover Boss” in how it follows some wealthy people as they live and volunteer in some of the country’s most impoverished neighborhoods.

ABC’s Sunday schedule remains intact, as does Monday night, where “Dancing With the Stars” grew in popularity with its spring season and “Castle” was a bright spot.

“Shark Tank,” “Wife Swap” and “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” were left off ABC’s schedule, but the network says they aren’t necessarily dead. This season’s new “V” will appear in midseason, ABC said.

ABC, which recently axed three dramas from its roster, has a lot of holes to fill so get ready for the arrival of “Castle” (March 9) and “Cupid” (March 24), and “The Unusuals” (April 8).

“Castle” is a light mystery-drama starring Nathan Fillion (“Firefly,” “Desperate Housewives”). “Cupid” is a remake of a short-lived 1999 romantic comedy. And “The Unusuals” is a new cop show featuring Amber Tamblyn (“Joan of Arcadia”) and Harold Perrineau (“Lost”).

ABC has also announced that ” Primetime: What Would You Do?” will debut Jan. 6. It’s a hidden-camera reality show — something I know we’ve all been dying for.

Judging from all the love “Survivor” gets among my co-workers, I should have known this already about the epic reality show: The fans who watch it really, REALLY love it.

That has been confirmed in a new study conducted by Marketing Evaluations Inc., the Q Scores Co. According to these guys, among all the fall TV shows, “Survivor” has the most “emotionally attached” 18-to-49 viewers. (We’re talking fall shows, so “Lost” and “24” were not included).

No argument at all with “Lost.” I was absolutely blown away by that pilot, which lavished a big-screen, event-like feel to a TV show. But now the nit-picking:

“30 Rock”? Please. I love this show. But if I recall correctly, it did not get off to a flying start. There was potential in that first episode, but they weren’t there yet. I’d toss it out in favor of “Arrested Development” or even “Bernie Mac.”

I’d also argue for the inclusion “The West Wing” somewhere in here. And, in my opinion, any such list that doesn’t include “Freaks and Geeks” is totally bogus. I still remember watching that pilot in the first year I became a TV critic and thinking, “Wow, if every show I see comes close to this one, this is going to be a glorious job.”

Here at the Freak house, we never complain when someone else does some work for us. That’s why we’re very happy to piggy-back on TV Guide’s latest photo gallery: TV’s Naughtiest Characters.

It’s a collection of those colorful TV personalities who love being bad — people like the gardener-chasing Gaby of “Desperate Housewives,” the rebellious Maxie of “General Hospital” and the relentless man-whore Barney of “How I Met Your Mother.” The list also contains Chuck Bass (“Gossip Girl”), Charlie Harper (“Two and a Half Men”), Samantha Jones (“Sex and the City”) and many others.

Check out the list to see if you agree — or if they’ve left anyone out.

What’s going on with all this TV time-leaping lately? “Lost” provides us withÂ intriguing glimpses into the future.Â The “One Tree Hill” kids skip college altogether as they fast-forward into adulthood. And then there was the time-tripping Sydney Bristow did a while back on “Alias.”

Now, “Desperate Housewives” has joined the craze and I don’t know if I’m happy about it. Continue Reading →

This Sunday, “Desperate Housewives” finally returns from writers strike purgatory with a the first in a batch of fresh episodes. But how long wiill Edie BrittÂ (Nicollette Sheridan) be around?

Perhaps not too long. Verne Gay, writer for The TV Zone was on the horn recently with creator Marc Cherry, who dropped some hints about bringing an end to Edie’s storyline in a “shocking conclusion to her time on Wisteria Lane.”

If it happens, it would be the first departure of a member of the show’s core cast. So would you miss Edie or not?